Fifteenth Sunday After PentecostThe Consecrated Life Vita ConsecrataEveryone is probably well aware by now that as of December 8, 2015, we have entered into a special time of grace. We have entered into the Jubilee Year of Mercy. I would encourage all of you to make the pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Saturday September 24th which is the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy. I am very grateful to Mrs. Gina Cinelli who has been organizing this pilgrimage for us.But we have also recently ended another grace filled observance, the Year of Consecrated Life. What is meant by the Consecrated Life, or, as is said in Latin, vita consecrata?Each week at Sunday Mass there is a special prayer after the Profession of Faith that is called the General Intercessions. This is sometimes, but mistakenly called, the Prayer of the faithful. In the General Intercessions we pray for all the state of the Church and the world. And each week we use the same phrase…For the Pope and for all the Bishops, the priests, deacons, those in consecrated life, and all the faithful…Who are those in consecrated life?Those who are in consecrated life are dedicated or consecrated to God in a very specific way. They are in sacred bonds (sometimes called vows or even promises) to follow God exclusively through the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. These are the monks and nuns, the friars, religious brothers and religious sisters. These are all members of religious institutes. Some of these institutes are orders, some are Congregations and some are Societies of Apostolic Life. The monks and nuns are called to the monastic and contemplative life. They generally live the rule of cloister, i.e., separation from the world. Although the term nun is often used to describe all women who are members of religious institutes, this is not the case. The nuns are in cloisters bound by solemn vows. So the general rule of thumb is that if you can see the person, she is probably not a nun but a religious sister. The religious sisters teach, run hospitals, and work in many charitable foundations. If you went to Catholic Grammar Schools years ago you were taught not by nuns (although many called them such), but rather by religious sisters.The religious sisters and brothers are in simple vows which bind them in their consecration to God. There are also other forms of consecrated life which are not religious, i.e., while the individuals are consecrated to God, they are not members of religious institutes. These are the consecrated virgins and hermits. There are also individuals who live in the world and who live the consecrated life as members of secular institutes. They are consecrated members of the Church but not religious.Here at St. Paul’s we have seen the wonderful witness of the consecrated life by both men and women. The Marianists is a male religious institute in the Church comprising both men who are ordained and men who are not ordained. The Fathers and Brothers. The Marianists have educated our children in religious education programs. They have been of assistance for weekend Masses and confessions and they maintain our beautiful fields.Page 4 August 28We have also had the Dominican Sisters of Amityville who have served so selflessly in our parish. (They are not nuns, but religious sisters). Sr. Regina Kraft served as Faith Formation Director for many years and today, August 28th she celebrates her 75th birthday. May God grant her many more years in health and happiness.We also welcome each year the Little Sisters of the Poor who visit us to raise funds for their Queen of Peace Residence. They, too, are not nuns. They are religious sisters.The Consecrated Life is not superfluous to the life of the Church, but of its very essence. We are grateful for their heroic witness in the Church and in our parish.THURSDAY MORNING MASS: Beginning this week there will no longer be a Thursday Morning Mass at St. Paul’s. Obviously, we continue with Mass at 8.00AM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It is normal practice that in parishes served by only one priest that there is one weekday when Mass is not celebrated. I encourage all who attend daily Mass to attend one of our many neighboring parishes on Thursday mornings.PARISH GALA DINNER/DANCE AND CASINO NIGHT: Please save the date of Friday October 28th. That will be our annual Parish Gala Dinner/Dance and Casino Night. Once again we will have the casino night provided by the M&M Twins (my good friends, Marco and Michael Posillico). This proved to be so enjoyable last year and was a great success. May I ask and invite all parishioners to attend this wonderful evening at the newly refurbished Cottage of the Milleridge Inn. Mr. Butch Yamali, the new owner of the Milleridge Inn, recently invited me to go there to bless this new endeavor. I was accompanied by the Chair of the Gala Mrs. Paula Maturo and by committee member Mrs. Anne Maione. I entered every room of the Inn to bless it and sprinkle the Holy Water in all the shops, and the cottage and carriage house. It is remarkable how this historic inn is being restored to its original splendor. Mr. Yamali is a good friend to us at St. Paul’s and I would encourage everyone to come that night and to see the refurbished Inn. It is our major fundraiser through the course of the year. You may have noticed that this year I have completed 35 years as a priest. I am very honored that on that evening we will also celebrate these years of priesthood. We do not honor the priest individually, for every priest’s prayer is that of St. John the Baptist, he must increase, but I must decrease. But rather we give thanks to God for the gift of the priesthood which is love at the heart of the Church. I am most grateful to Mrs. Paula Maturo and her committee for all they have done for the success of this wonderful evening.In Jesus and Mary,Monsignor James F. Pereda

Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time-Fourteenth Sunday After PentecostSt. Pius XToday marks the 103rd anniversary of the coronation of Pope St. Pius X. Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto was born in 1835 in Riese, Venetia, (northern Italy) to Giovanni Sarto, a municipal messenger and postman, and Margarita Sansone. He was the second of ten children in a poor, yet devout family. His family was so poor that he would walk to school shoes in hand, wearing them only at school as to preserve them for future use.As a boy Giuseppe Sarto walked five miles back and forth to the local elementary school; and after heeding a call to the Priesthood, he travelled to the seminary in Padua. He was ordained a priest by dispensation at the age of twenty-three, and gave of himself tirelessly for 17 years in the pastoral ministry. At the age of 40 he was appointed a canon (cathedral-priest) of Treviso, where his hard work and generous charity made a great mark. In 1884 he was consecrated bishop for the Diocese of Mantua, which was in a low state and marked by many difficulties. Bishop Sarto was so brilliantly successful in correcting the abuses in his diocese, that Pope Leo XIII created him cardinal and appointed him as Patriarch of Venice.Ever mindful of his humble origin, he stated, “I was born poor, I lived poor, I will die poor,” and his motto was “To Restore All Things in Christ.” He was embarrassed by some of the pomp of the papal court and how he was obliged to wear very elaborate and cumbersome State Vesture. “Look how they have dressed me up!” he said in tears to an old friend. To another, “It is a penance to be forced to accept all these practices. They lead me around surrounded by soldiers like Jesus when he was seized in Gethsemane.” If one looks at some of the official formal photographs of the saint in these “royal” papal outfits, replete with ermine cape and the triple tiara, one can clearly see a hint of annoyance on his face. Yet he accepted it nonetheless as all part of the weight of the office of Supreme Pontiff, offering it up to the good God in penance. Such is true humility.Interested in politics especially in the wake of the 19th Century socio-political upheaval which saw the dissolution of the Papal States and the unification of Italy, he encouraged Italian Catholics to become more politically involved. One of his first papal acts was to end the supposed right of governments to interfere by veto in papal elections (something never conceded but nevertheless practiced). In fact this practice had occurred at the 1903 conclave which had elected him. The Austrian Emperor. Franz Josef, had asked the Cardinal Archbishop of Cracow (then in the Austrian Empire) to carry into the conclave the imperial exclusion of Cardinal Rampolla. In all likelihood, Rampolla would not have been elected anyway. Instead a saint was elected Pope. There has always been great speculation as to why the Emperor did not want Rampolla to be elected.In 1905, when France renounced its agreement with the Holy See and threatened confiscation of Church property if government control of Church affairs were not granted, Pius X courageously rejected the demand and the French government eventually backed down. Although he was a lion of the Catholic Faith, famously attacking that “synthesis of all heresies” – Modernism – he was never lacking in true charity for anyone. At Mantua, infamous false charges were made against him in print. He refused to take any action; and when the writer went bankrupt, the bishop privately sent him money: “So unfortunate a man needs prayers more than punishment.”While he did not author a famous social encyclical as his predecessor Leo XIII had done (Rerum Novarum), he denounced the ill treatment of indigenous peoples on the plantations of Peru, sent a relief commission to Messina after an earthquake and sheltered refugees at his own expense. His love for the little ones of God – especially the sick and the poor – was always evident. He himself taught catechism weekly to the poor children of Rome in the Cortile San Damaso.Page 4 August 21Already during his lifetime, almighty God used Pope Pius as an instrument of miracles, and these occurrences are stamped with the perfection of modest simplicity. A man at a public audience pointed to his paralyzed arm, saying, “Cure me, Holy Father!” The pope smiled, stroking the arm gently, “Yes, yes, yes,” he said. And the man was healed. A paralyzed child, 11 years old, at a private audience suddenly and unprompted asked the same thing. “May God grant your wish,” said Pius. She got up and walked. A nun, in an advanced stage of tuberculosis, made the same request. “Yes,” was all the pope replied, laying his hands on her head. That evening the doctor verified her recovery. Some orphans in Argentina telegraphed the Pope begging him to heal their Mother Superior of cancer. Cardinal Merry del Val, the Secretary of State, simply telegraphed back to the orphans, The Holy Father is pleased to grant the petitioned request. The nun was cured immediately.When some of his former parishioners from Bergamo came to visit Rome he received them with great cordiality. In their simplicity and lack of formal diplomatic training they said to the Pope: “Don Beppo,” (Father Joe) as they had always affectionately called him, “we understand that since you have come to Rome you are working many miracles." The saint smiled and replied, "Yes, indeed. You know, things are so expensive here in Rome that one must do a little bit of everything just to get by." He did not deny that miracles were wrought through him, yet he diverted their focus away from himself with the fine sense of humor for which he was also well known.The great papal historian, Baron Ludwig von Pastor wrote fittingly of Pope Pius X: “He was one of those few chosen men whose personality is irresistible. Everyone was moved by his simplicity and his angelic kindness. Yet it was something more that carried him into all hearts: and that “something” is best defined by saying that all who were ever admitted to his presence had a deep conviction of being face to face with a saint. And the more one knows of him the stronger this conviction becomes.”Pope Pius X is perhaps best remembered today for his encouragement of the frequent reception of Holy Communion, especially by children. In the Latin Church prior to 1910, it had been the tradition of many centuries for children to be confirmed at the age of 12 or thereabouts, and to receive First Holy Communion at about 14. What many Catholics believe to be an ancient practice – children’s reception of the Eucharist at seven or eight – is only about 100 years old. The saint said: “Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven. There are others: innocence, but that is for little children; penance, but we are afraid of it; generous endurance of trials of life, but when they come we weep and ask to be spared of them. The surest, easiest, shortest way is the Eucharist.” And by that, he meant for us to live and emulate our blessed Lord’s Sacrifice that we participate in at Holy Mass.On the 11th anniversary of his election as pope, August 4, 1914, Europe was plunged into World War I. Pius had foreseen and did all he could to avert it, but it was the blow that broke his priestly heart and killed him. “This is the last affliction the Lord will visit on me. I would gladly give my life to save my poor children from this ghastly scourge.” He died on August 20th – a few weeks after the war began. He was canonized in 1954 by Pope Pius XII who said this was the greatest act of his papacy.St. Pius X, pray for us!PARISH GALA DINNER/DANCE AND CASINO NIGHT: Please save the date of Friday October 28th. That will be our annual Parish Gala Dinner/Dance and Casino Night. Once again we will have the casino night provided by the M&M Twins (my good friends, Marco and Michael Posillico). This proved to be so enjoyable last year and was a great success. May I ask and invite all parishioners to attend this wonderful evening at the newly refurbished Cottage of the Milleridge Inn. Mr. Butch Yamali, the new owner of the Milleridge Inn, recently invited me to go there to bless this new endeavor. I was accompanied by the Chair of the Gala Mrs. Paula Maturo and by committee member Mrs. Anne Maione. I entered every room of the Inn to bless it and sprinkle the Holy Water in all the shops, and the cottage and carriage house. It is remarkable how this historic inn is being restored to its original splendor. Mr. Yamali is a good friend to us at St. Paul’s and I would encourage everyone to come that night and to see the refurbished Inn. It is our major fundraiser through the course of the year. You may have noticed that this year I have completed 35 years as a priest. I am very honored that on that evening we will also celebrate these years of priesthood. We do not honor the priest individually, for every priest’s prayer is that of St. John the Baptist, he must increase, but I must decrease. But rather we give thanks to God for the gift of the priesthood which is love at the heart of the Church. I am most grateful to Mrs. Paula Maturo and her committee for all they have done for the success of this wonderful evening.PILGRIMAGE TO THE BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION IN WASHINGTON, DC: Please see the bulletin for information about our Diocesan Pilgrimage to the National Shrine in Washington. This magnificent Church is our nation’s gift to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception. Our lady has promised many blessings to all those who will invoke her intercession at this magnificent shrine. I am very grateful to Mrs. Gina Cinelli for all her hard work and effort. May God bless and reward you, Gina!In Jesus and Mary,Monsignor James F. Pereda

I had rather lie at the threshold of the House of my GodThan to dwell in the tents of the wicked

-King David - The Psalms

We continue today with our consideration of the narthex and the placement of the music ministry. As I wrote in my article of two weeks ago, the entrance area of the Church is not called a vestibule or lobby, but a Narthex. It is a sacred space which brings the presence of the Lord to the threshold of the Church and beyond. It is the meeting place with the world whereas the altar rail is the meeting place of God with the worshipping community. The Narthex is a place where the worshipping assembly greets one another, whereas we greet Our Lord in the Church. It is our fond hope to enlarge the narthex and make it more luminous and bright. That will enable the beautiful stained glass window of Christ the King to be appreciated and admired by the congregation in the Church. It will appear as though Christ Our Lord were stepping into the Church and standing among us. This magnificent window should not only be seen by those who drive pass the Church in the evening but also by us who stand in the Church itself. No wonder why King David slept on the portico of the temple and wrote the words printed above. Even the threshold of God’s House is greater than the dwelling places of the powerful of this world. The music ministry will be moved to an appropriate place where they will support the singing of the congregation as we avoid all sense of theatricality in the House of God. No wonder St. Pius X never permitted applause in Church. He used to say One does not clap for the servant in the House of the Master. CENTERSTAGE: This year marked the 35th anniversary of the St. Paul’s Centerstage. This is a ministry of our parish made up of parishioners and non-parishioners who work together for many weeks of the summer to present a (usually musical) play for us. The work that goes into a production cannot be fathomed, for when we see it, everything looks so smooth and perfect. But the major work is not only the countless hours of rehearsing the action and words of the play itself. It is the building and painting of the sets from scratch. It is the rehearsal with piano and then moving to full orchestra. It is the making of the costumes and their proper fitting. It is the moving of the sets to the venue of presentation. The details are too enormous to enumerate. And yet this happens every summer through the loving dedication of the cast, crew, directors, producers, musicians, and so many others. This year’s production was Beauty and the Beast. As the eponymous song from the play tells us: It is a tale as old as time…And yet it is a tale that, in a certain sense, began before ever there was time. For it is none other than the story of the ancient curse placed upon our race because of original sin, and how the curse which was the ruin of our race, was lifted by One whose love brought Life from Death. I am so happy that so many of our parishioners enjoyed the show and had the opportunity to see it. Although I could go on for many more pages, I will single out only one individual while all the others understand my gratitude and admiration. That one person is Mr. James Black, Esq., who has produced over 20 of the 35 productions and has been involved in every one of them. May God reward your efforts and dedication, Jim. You have worked like our patron, St. Paul, in season and out of season. Now you see the fruits of your hard work and selflessness. May God bless and reward you.PARISH GALA DINNER/DANCE AND CASINO NIGHT: Please save the date of Friday October 28th. That will be our annual Parish Gala Dinner/Dance and Casino Night. Once again we will have the casino night provided by the M&M Twins (my good friends, Marco and Michael Posillico). This proved to be so enjoyable last year and was a great success. May I ask and invite all parishioners to attend this wonderful evening at the newly refurbished Cottage of the Milleridge Inn. Mr. Butch Yamali, the new owner of the Milleridge Inn, recently invited me to go there to bless this new endeavor. I was accompanied by the Chair of the Gala Mrs. Paula Maturo and by committee member Mrs. Anne Maione. I entered every room of the Inn to bless it and sprinkle the Holy Water, in all the shops, and the cottage and carriage house. It is remarkable how this historic inn is being restored to its original splendor. Mr. Yamali is a good friend to us at St. Paul’s and I would encourage everyone to come that night and to see the refurbished Inn. It is our major fundraiser through the course of the year. You may have noticed that this year I have completed 35 years as a priest. I am very honored that on that evening we will also celebrate these years of priesthood. We do not honor the priest individually, for every priest’s prayer is that of St. John the Baptist, he must increase, but I must decrease. But rather we give thanks to God for the gift of the priesthood which is love at the heart of the Church. I am most grateful to Mrs. Paula Maturo and her committee for all they have done for the success of this wonderful evening.

PILGRIMAGE TO THE BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION IN WASHINGTON, DC: Please see the bulletin for information about our Diocesan Pilgrimage to the National Shrine in Washington. This magnificent Church is our nation’s gift to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception. Our lady has promised many blessings to all those who will invoke her intercession at this magnificent shrine. I am very grateful to Mrs. Gina Cinelli for all her hard work and effort. May God bless and reward you, Gina! AIR CONDITIONING: Two weeks ago we had our Air Conditioning collection. You may recall that at the time I mentioned that our beloved parish had been hit with quite a sizeable bill because the compressors both in the barn and the Daily Mass Chapel had completely stopped working. They were both installed 15 years ago (long before I was here) and at the time, Monsignor Clerkin had been told that they would probably last 15 years. Exactly 15 years later (like clockwork) they each stopped working within three weeks of one another. Repairing them was not an option because the repairs could not be guaranteed. They had to be replaced and, even after a kind discount, the price came to a great deal of money. I had been praying to St. Joseph that we would finish our fiscal year (which ends on August 31, 2016) in the black, and, as always, St. Joseph heard my prayer. One of our parishioners who wishes to remain anonymous approached me after mass along with his children to tell me he would pay for both of them. This parishioner, who insisted that his name not be mentioned, is the owner of Mid Island Collision in Rockville Centre, 20 Lakeville Ave., Rockville Centre, New York 11570, 516.766.0101. Ironically I had known this gentleman long before coming to St. Paul’s. His company repaired my little Toyota Corolla after I had been in a terrible car accident (long before I came to St. Paul’s) on the LIE between exits 61 and 62 (I will never forget it). The guardian angels preserved me and the other driver from physical harm. Mid Island Collision made my car like new. And I had also very often seen and spoken with this anonymous gentleman when I used to say the 5.00PM Mass at St. Patrick’s in Glen Cove every Sunday evening. Some people think a pastor may be disappointed that his parishioners go to other churches for Holy Mass. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every priest is happy that his parishioners go to Mass on Sunday. And I am very well aware that a small parish like our own which is served by only one priest cannot provide the schedule of Masses that is provided in parishes where there may be three, four or even five parish priests. The wonderful thing about our area is that there are so many parishes and thus one may always get to Holy Mass. I will be forever grateful that St. Joseph used this fine Catholic gentleman to provide for us all. Although I pray everyone will always be safe from accidents, should such a tragedy befall any of our parishioners I would highly recommend Mid Island Collision in Rockville Centre. Believe it or not, it is from this shop that a wonderful outreach is organized by this same gentleman to feed the poor and help those less fortunate. May God bless and reward Mr. X. and may St. Joseph’s most powerful intercession be praised and blessed. ​FR. LEE DESCOTEAUX: During the month of August we will be blessed to have the assistance of Fr. Lee Descoteaux. Fr. Descoteaux is a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre and former Administrator of the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Deer Park. Fr. Descoteaux has just completed three years of studying Canon Law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Santa Croce) in Rome. Father received the J.C.L. (licentiate in Canon Law) with great distinction in June. Just last week he took the Oath of Fidelity and Profession of Faith as he was installed as Adjutant (Assistant) Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. As such, Father Descoteaux is the primary assistant to the Judicial Vicar in the administration of justice in the Diocesan Courts. (As you know, I serve as the Judicial Vicar). It is a joy for us all to welcome Father Descoteaux who will assist us at St, Paul’s. We are so blessed to have his assistance here at St. Paul’s and his assistance to me in my other responsibility as Judicial Vicar in the Tribunal is invaluable. We welcome Father Descoteaux in the charity of Christ.

AN EMAIL RECEIVED FROM WALTER KEDJIERSKI: Today (August 8th) I received an email from Father Walter Kedjierski informing me of the happy news of his successful doctoral defense at Oxford University. He wishes to extend sincere gratitude to all the parishioners of St. Paul who, although they have met him merely a few weeks ago, nevertheless were praying for his success and a good outcome. Congratulations Father Kedjierski, D. Onon., Ph.D.

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION: This year the Solemnity of the Assumption falls on a Monday (August 15th) and therefore the obligation to attend Holy Mass is dispensed this year. Nonetheless, it is my fond hope that many of our people will come to holy Mass that day to honor Our Lady on her principal Feast. The one Mass that day will be at 8.00AM in the Chapel. I would encourage all of you to fast and pray from August 1st until the 15th. This is a very ancient tradition and is often referred to as Our Lady’s Lent.